This application is directed to a weatherstrip or weatherseal, and particularly one that includes an integrated attachment arrangement. The subject new weatherstrip finds use in areas where little room is available to secure the weatherstrip and finds particular use in an automotive vehicle, for example, between or along closely spaced body panels.
As is known, selected areas of a vehicle require a weatherstrip or weatherseal. In particular instances, such as the A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar and rocker panel, there is little room to provide attachment of the weatherstrip to the vehicle. It is not uncommon to use a riveted attachment scheme such as shown in FIG. 1 where welded-on studs or attachment pins are provided on an outer body panel adjacent its interface with an inner body panel. The studs or pins are used as a means to securely attach the weatherstrip to the vehicle since other known attachment arrangements cannot be effectively used. As will be appreciated, the weatherstrip requires corresponding openings or holes in a bracket carrying or joined to the weatherstrip in order to secure the weatherstrip to these pins.
Alternatively, tape is sometimes used as a means for attaching the weatherstrip to the vehicle in these hard-to-access locations. Adhesive tapes, however, encounter issues with regard to assembly, i.e., installation of the weatherstrip with the exposed adhesive and proper positioning of the weatherstrip on the vehicle, as well as corresponding potential warranty issues that may result, generally leads to tape being a less desirable selection for attaching the weatherstrip.
Thus, a need exists to develop a robust seal that can be packaged and attached in areas of a vehicle that previously required additional parts or processes to allow the attachment of a weatherstrip. The weatherstrip finds particular application in the automotive industry where two panels are assembled together with only a small space for attachment.
A need further exists to eliminate the tooling associated with installing attachment studs/pins, or to eliminate use of tape as an alternative securing method.
Known arrangements are also limited in the ability to be subsequently serviced, e.g., replaced, and are also limited in the shapes and conformations that the seal may undertake.